Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush in which a pair of bristle carriers are pivotally mounted to one handle adjacent each other and are rotatable between a position in which they are aligned and perpendicular to one handle and a position in which they are parallel to each other and to the handle. Movement is imparted through a latchable slide on one handle which is connected to the carriers by tapered, deformable arms integrally molded with one carrier and slides in a single injection operation.

United States Patent Makowsky [54] TOOTHBRUSH [72] Inventor: Herbert Makowsky, Wielandstr. 25,

28 Bremen, Germany 22 Filed: Jan. 22, 1971 211 Appl.No.: 108,942

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 23, 1970 Germany ..P 20 02 984.9

[52] US. Cl. ..15/l67 R, 15/172 [51] Int. Cl. ..A46b 15/00, A46b 9/10 [58] Field of Search ..15/167 R, 172, 144 R, 143, 15/145, 201

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,684 6/1949 McCaughley ..l5/l67 R X (451 Sept. 19,1972

2,835,913 5/1958 Giacomo "IS/172, 2,828,503 4/1958 Goldstein 15/144 R X 3,193,864 7/1965 Makowsky 15/172 3,350,737 11/1967 Makowsky ..l5/l67 R X Primary Examiner-Peter Feldman Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [57] 7 ABSTRACT A toothbrush in which a pair of bristle carriers are pivotally mounted to one handle adjacent each other and are rotatable between a position in which they are aligned and perpendicular to one handle and a position in which they are parallel to each other and to the handle. Movement is imparted through a latchable slide on one handle which is connected to the carriers by tapered, deformable arms integrally molded with one carrier and slides in a single injection operation.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figuresv TOOTIIBRUSII BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a toothbrush with a bristle carrier, which can be swung, by a slide, relative tothe handle, and which peripherally consists of two bent bristle carrier parts whose ends face each other and which are positioned on the handle in a swingable fashion.

2. Description of the Prior Art Toothbrushes with divided bristle carriers, whereby the bristle carrier parts can alternately be swung into a position lateral to the handle, as well as into a position in the longitudinal direction of the handle, have already been described in German Pat. Nos. 1,185,147 and 1,252,170.

In the toothbrush according to the first-named patent, a slide is provided for activating the bristle carrier. The fork-shaped end of this slide, which faces the bristle carrier parts, is connected with them by pins which fit into longitudinal holes on the bristle carrier parts. By moving the slide in the longitudinal direction of the handle, the bristle carrier parts can be swung into one or another position, whereby the pins glide in the long holes.

In the toothbrush according to German Pat. No. 1,252,170, there is provided a rack for operating the two bristle carrier parts. This rack can be moved through the slide in the longitudinal direction of the handle and engages two segments arrangedat the front ends of the bristle carrier parts which face each other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved toothbrush of this type according to the present invention is characterized by the fact that the slide is connected with the bristle carrier parts by deformable traction and thrust members. Peripherally, the connection between the traction and the thrust members, on the one hand, and the bristle carrier parts, on the other, is so made that these parts can be made of a single, connected work piece, preferably by plastic injection molding. Because the traction and thrust members continue to .be unilaterally connected with the slide, the toothbrush according to this invention, despite the heavily mechanized operation of the bristle carrier parts, is so designed that it consists merely of two shaped parts, thatis, injection molded parts, which furthermore can be put together in a simple manner. This means that this toothbrush provides the basis for economical mass production and for assembly in the best possible way.

Further features of the invention include the design and arrangement of the slide, as well as the connection of the bristle carrier parts with the handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further details are explained below with the help of the examples illustrated in the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an overall view of the toothbrush according. to the present invention when the bristle carrier parts are positioned laterally to the handle;

FIG. 2 shows the toothbrush according to FIG. 1, with the bristle carrier part positioned in the longitudinal direction of the handle;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross section through the toothbrush according to FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is across section IV-IV from FIG. 2 on an DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, two identically shaped, bent bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 are swingably positioned on a handle 12. The two bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 can swing around the pivots l3 and 14, respectively, into a position lateral to the handle (FIG. 1) and, alternately, into a position in the longitudinal direction of the handle (FIG. 2). The two different positions of the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 correspond to the positions required for optimum dental care for the purpose of cleaning certain portions of the teeth.

The movements of the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 are brought about by means of a slide 15. Slide 15 is positioned movably on handle 12 in thelatters longitudinal direction can be operated by the hand that holds the toothbrush.

The movements of slide 15 are transmitted to the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 via deformable elastic traction and thrust members 16 and 17. The traction and thrust members 16, 17 are connected with the bristle carrier parts 10 and 1 l at rounded-off front ends 18 and 19, with face each other, in an area away from slide 15. The traction and thrust members l6, 17 are deformable at least in the area of front ends 18 and 19. The elastic material of traction and thrust members l6, 17 is selected so that traction forces can be absorbed and transmitted to the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 when these parts are swung from the position of FIG. 1 into the position of FIG. 2. In reverse direction, pressure forces are transmitted via traction and thrust members 16 and 17 to bristlecarrier parts 10 and 11, which produces a swinging motion in the opposite direction.

In the example illustrated, the traction and thrust members 16 and 17 are formed by splitting up a thrust rod 20 into two portions, one for each of the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11.

According to one special feature of the. invention, the slide 15, the thrust rod 20,the traction and thrust members 16 and 17, as well as the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11, comprise a single connected workpiece peripherally formed of plastics in a single injection operation (cycle), which is connected with handle 12 merely by simple assembly measures, that is, by pressing on. This facilitates not only the production of the individual parts but also their assembly.

Slide 15 is connected in a locking manner by means of lateral dovetailed guides 21 and 22 (FIG. 5). The properties of the material (forexample, nylon) of slide 15 make it possible, during assembly, to press slide I5, laterally to the handle, into the dovetail guides 21 and 22, but assembly can also be accomplished by pushing up on handle 12.

Slide 15 is provided with a backstop which can be swung around a shaft 23. This fixes the bristle carrier parts and 11 in their terminal positions. For this purpose there are provided on handle 12 two stops 25 and 26 which are spaced from each other and which, in the example illustrated, are constituted by the terminal edges of a depression 27 in the handle 12. in the terminal positions, by swinging the backstop 24, one can move the backstops edge 28 against stop 25 or its edge 29 against stop 26 so that it will come to rest there. The bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 are thus fixed in one position, either perpendicular (FIG. 1) or parallel (FIG. 2) to the handle. The fixation in the other particular direction of movement springs from the lengths of the traction and thrust members 16 and 17 which do not permit movement beyond the adjusted terminal position.

Thrust rod 20, whose cross section decreases in the direction of the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11, is guide at the side facing toward handle 12 in a dovetail groove 30 of handle 12 in order to increase the stability during the transmission of the pressure forces. Furthermore, the interval between front ends 18 and 19 of bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 is kept to a minimum in order to achieve the thickest possible bristle coverage 31 and to assure the traction and thrust members 16 and 17 of a certain lateral articulation.

Backstop 24 is fabricated together with slide is one injection cycle and at the same time is pivotally connected with slide 15 by means of plastic shaft 23 so that only two pieces are involved in the complete toothbrush assembly.

Pivots 13 and 14 for the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 are so designed that they can easily be assembled by machine. In the embodiment of FIG. 6, pins 32 and 33 are tip-stretched on the sides of the bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 which are located away from bristle cover 31. These pins pass through holes 34 and 35 in handle 12.

Pins 32 and 33 are provided with longitudinal heads 36 and 37. The holes 34 and 35, through which heads 36 and 37 are inserted during assembly, are so oriented that when the toothbrush is being used, heads 36 and 37 will not be in a position identical to holes 34 and 35 regardless of the position of bristle carrier parts 10 and In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8, pins 38 and 39 are provided which pass through circular holes 40 and 41 in handle 12 and are fixed by circular heads 42 and 43. Heads 42 and 43 are elastically designed in such a manner that they can be pressed through holes 40 and 41 during assembly while being deformed. if necessary, release slit 44 may be provided in handle 12 which, during assembly, makes it possible to widen holes 40 and 41. Heads 42 and 43 in the assembled state are preferably recessed into handle 12, as shown in FIG. 8.

The toothbrush can be altered in various ways within the basic concept of this invention. In particular, it is possible to have other designs for the pivotal connection between bristle carrier parts 10 and 11 and handle 12. Moreover, the toothbrush can also be designed so that it can be made of one work piece in one injection c cle. In this case, slide 1 is mad lon er at the ends ld cated away from the bri stle carrier p rts 10 and 11 handle and a parallel position in which they are substantially parallel to the handle,

c. a slide member slidably mounted on the handle,

and

d. deformable traction and thrust members connecting the slide to the bristle carriers whereby rotation of the bristle carriers relative to the handle is effected by moving the slide,

e. the deformable traction and thrust members, the bristle carriers and the slide member comprising a single, unitary piece formed of plastic.

2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 further comprising pivotable backstop on the slide which may be alternately engaged with the ends of a depression in the handle for restraining the bristle carriers from rotation in one direction, in each of their terminal positions.

3. A toothbrush according to claim 2 wherein the backstop is connected with the slide by a shaft which is integrally molded with the slide and the backstop.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein:

a. the traction and thrust members are tapered toward the bristle carriers,

b. the slide is connected with the traction and thrust members by a thrust rod, and

c. the tapered ends of the members are formed by a split in the middle of one end of the thrust rod.

5. A toothbrush according to claim 4 wherein the thrust rod is guided on the handle by a dovetail groove.

6. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein:

a. the bristle carriers are provided with pins fitted in holes in the handle and the pins are provided with V retaining heads, and

b. the holes and the heads are longitudinal and are not aligned when the toothbrush is being used.

7. A toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein the holes are circular and the heads are deformable and are pressed through the holes during assembly. 

1. A toothbrush comprising a. a handle, b. two bristle carriers pivotally mounted on the handle and rotatable between an aligned position in which they are substantially perpendicular to the handle and a parallel position in which they are substantially parallel to the handle, c. a slide member slidably mounted on the handle, and d. deformable traction and thrust members connecting the slide to the bristle carriers whereby rotation of the bristle carriers relative to the handle is effected by moving the slide, e. the deformable traction and thrust members, the bristle carriers and the slide member comprising a single, unitary piece formed of plastic.
 2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 further comprising pivotable backstop on the slide which may be alternately engaged with the ends of a depression in the handle for restraining the bristle carriers from rotation in one direction, in each of their terminal positions.
 3. A toothbrush according to claim 2 wherein the backstop is connected with the slide by a shaft which is integrally molded with the slide and the backstop.
 4. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein: a. the traction and thrust members are tapered toward the bristle carriers, b. the slide is connected with the traction and thrust members by a thrust rod, and c. the tapered ends of the members are formed by a split in the middle of one end of the thrust rod.
 5. A toothbrush according to claim 4 wherein the thrust rod is guided on the handle by a dovetail groove.
 6. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein: a. the bristle carriers are provided with pins fitted in holes in the handle and the pins are provided with retaining heads, and b. the holes and the heads are longitudinal and are not aligned when the toothbrush is being used.
 7. A toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein the holes are circular and the heads are deformable and are pressed through the holes during assembly. 